You dream of setting off on an adventure, of exploring new lands and discovering the world. However, you are concerned about your children’s schooling and wish to continue their education while travelling. Well, you should know that anything is possible and that several resources are available to you to teach your children from a distance while travelling.
What you need to know
First of all, it should be noted that the Education Act stipulates that all children between the ages of 6 and 16 are required to attend school. However, any parent may withdraw their child from school at any time during the year to provide their own education. To do so, they must register with the Direction de l’enseignement à la maison (DEM), responsible for homeschooling, to notify them of their child’s removal from the school system within the next 10 days. The school service centers must also be notified of this change.
If the child continues to learn during the trip, and the parents are diligent in ensuring that this happens, the child will be able to continue his or her schooling without having to repeat one or more grades (depending on the length of the trip). Any child can therefore be educated at a distance, as long as he or she continues to meet the educational objectives. The Guide to Home Schooling explains in detail the steps that should be followed by the parent; generally speaking, the parent has to develop a learning project and submit it before September 30, monitor his or her child’s progress, provide the Ministry with a mid-term and end-of-project report and ensure that the evaluations as required by the Ministry will be respected.
Remote teaching versus homeschooling
Moreover, an important point, the terms “remote teaching” and “homeschooling” should not be confused. Homeschooling, often conducted virtually, is provided by a teacher affiliated with a school service center and requires a medical note. For families who travel, the parents have full responsibility for the education of their children. This is known as remote teaching. Full details can be found here.
You are not alone!
The programme offered by the Ministry of Education offers parents all the resources they need to ensure their children’s learning progress while the whole family discovers the world. You will find everything you need to know here: Quebec School Training Program | Ministère de l’Éducation and Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur (gouv.qc.ca).
The Association québécoise pour l’éducation à domicile (AQED) is also a gold mine of information! It offers support to families that travel, with various pedagogical approaches and educational resources for children’s continuous learning.
Benefit from the valuable advice of those who have experienced it
Above all, travelling parents, know that you are not alone! Many families before you have experienced travel and school and have shared their experiences, so you can benefit from their advice. Here are a few of them:
- The AQED, which has more than 2,000 members, has a Facebook group where families who teach while traveling can exchange and obtain advice: Association québécoise pour l’éducation à domicile | Facebook
- Balthazar – Corporate, public and school training and conferences.
- Learning on the road – Travelling with the family.
- School on a trip, where to start? – Part 1 – Family Adventure!
- School on a trip: how to go about it? Testimony of a family.
More resources for parents
In addition to the above-mentioned resources, sites such as the Allo Prof site have many revision lessons for all levels and subjects as well as interactive exercises that are easily done wherever you are.
Are your children in college? Cégep à distance is full of courses and programs accessible from afar, just like Quebec universities (an example here)
The world is waiting for you. With proper planning, many resources are available to you to continue your children’s education, no matter where your journey takes you. Of course, our tutors at SOSteacher can help you make sure your children are up to date in their learning.
Article written by Elise Leclerc